A Moment to Breathe
by live-in-dreamland1
Summary: After watching the raptor run away, the group make their way back to the control room for some much needed sleep before making their way down to the docks in the morning. Clawen


I'm back! It feels like I haven't posted on here in ages! So as you can see, I've totally fallen in love with Clawen and have therefore written a sort of missing moment fic from the movie. (Still cant' believe I've seen the movie. The previous ones terrified me)

So I hope you like it and I hope I've done the characters justice. Enjoy!

* * *

Claire walks out from the destroyed shop to stand behind Owen, watching the Raptor run away. She comes to a stop within reaching distance but refrains from stretching her hand out towards him. The footsteps of the T-Rex ring out in the silence and Claire hears her nephews collectively release a breath. None of them move for a moment, unsure of what to do. It's only when she is still does Claire begin to feel the toll that the day has had on her body. Her heartbeat picks up speed while her feet begin to register pain. Hands start shaking but Claire bunches them into a fist because now is not the time.

'What do we do now?' Gray asks, breaking the silence over the group. Owen finally turns around to face them but at the moment, Claire can't bring herself to look at him and she has _no idea_ why. She quickly turns to her nephews and offers them a weak smile.

'It's too late to radio in for a ferry to take us back to the mainland and the evacuation centre at the docks is too far to walk at this time of night. We're going to have to find somewhere to sleep for the night and the only safe place I can think of will be the control room,' Claire doesn't realise that she is rambling, on the verge of panic, until Owen places a hand on her arm. She stops immediately and slowly takes a deep breath while her eyes slide shut. She can feel three sets of worried eyes on her but now is not the time to dwell on her emotional state. Her first priority is to make sure that her boys, and somehow Owen gets grouped with her blood relatives, have somewhere safe to sleep. Straightening her spine and opening her eyes, she gestures back towards the building they had all sprinted out of not too long ago.

'Control room,' she says, ignoring the way her voice wavers. It takes a moment but eventually, all four of them are walking back into the main building.

Owen and the boys share a quick look. They know that they must all be feeling the same way. All of them are tired, sore and even a little but traumatised. Despite the imminent danger no longer there, everyone was aware that there were more than just two dinosaurs running loose. Footsteps were kept light and eyes were darting in all directions to make sure that nothing was waiting for them in the shadows.

* * *

Eventually they made it to the control room without incident and once the doors closed behind them, Claire felt like she could breath a little easier. They were safe here. Looking up, her eyes finally caught Owen's and she knew that it didn't escape either of them how their last encounter in this room ended.

Realising that no one had a clear idea of what to do, Owen began to direct the boys.

'Zach, Gray, I need you boys to try and find food, water, and blankets. Do you think you can do that?' he asked, aiming the last part at Gray. Gray looked up at his older brother before nodding and the two boys began walking towards the back of the control room.

'Don't go too far,' Claire called out, resisting the urge to follow them. Gray gave her a thumbs up as he rounded the corner. With the boys of the room, Claire allowed her shoulders to slump.

'We need to find a way to get to the docks,' Claire stated, turning to the blank monitors. She needed to turn the systems back on and figure out a plan.

'Claire,' Owen's voice said on her left. Claire pain him no mind, working on getting the computers turned back on. She needed to keep herself busy. She didn't want to stop.

'Claire,' he said, more insistently this time and reaching out to grab her arm. Claire spun around quickly, meeting his eye.

'Owen…' she started. 'I know okay, I know. But right now, I-'

'Shh,' Owen cut her off, only just remembering to keep his hand down. 'Just take a breath.'

Claire did as he instructed and took a deep breath, expelling the air slowly.

'Feel better?' he asked and Claire nodded. 'Now all of this can wait until the morning. Right now we all need to rest.'

'But-'

'There isn't much more we can do tonight.'

Claire sighed, knowing that he was right. The two stared at each other, barely breathing. In the back of her mind she registered how quickly their relationship had progressed since the start of the day. She couldn't contain the small smile that crossed her face at the thought and Owen raised an eyebrow at her. The moment is interrupted by her nephews returning.

'We raided a vending machine!' Gray announces and everyone can't help but laugh at the excited expression on his face. The light hearted moment is enough to shift the mood and lift the tension.

'Did you find any blankets?' Claire asked, directing the question to Zach.

'Yeah. We found a bunch in a locker room. Our arms were full so we'll go back and get them.'

'I'll go with you,' Owen said, gesturing to Gray who had already opened a packet of chips and seated himself on a chair. Zach nods his head, following after Owen as Claire stood behind Gray and stole some of his chips.

* * *

'So you kissed Aunt Claire,' Zach states once they are out of earshot and Owen pauses at bluntness.

'I did,' Owen replies, picking up his pace. They reach the locker room and Owen is quick to locate the blankets on top of the lockers. He can feel Zach's gaze on him,

'Do you like her?'

'I wouldn't have kissed her if I didn't.'

'It could have just been a reaction to a near death moment,' Zach continues and Owen lets out a low whistle.

'Trust me kid,' Owen says, loading Zach with an armful of blankets. 'I wouldn't have kissed her if I didn't like her.'

'And does she like you?'

'If you had of asked me that this morning, I could have given you an answer,' Owen says as they make their way back to the control room.

'I think she does.'

They are silent until they reach Gray and Claire. Gray is struggling to keep his eyes open and Claire is sitting in front of a computer screen. In a silent agreement, Zach takes a couple blankets over to his brother and easily convinces him to curl up on the floor to try and get some sleep. Owen walks over to Claire and gently drapes a blanket across her shoulders. Claire jumps but Owen quickly places his hands on her, stopping her from leaping up.

'It's just me,' he says in a soft voice.

'I never did say thank you,' Claire says after a moment as she cranes her head to look up at Owen. Owen's face scrunches up into a frown. 'For agreeing to help find my nephews.'

'It was nothing,' Owen dismisses but Claire shakes her head.

'It's everything. You didn't have to help me after everything that happened this morning but you still did and I have no idea how to begin to say thank you.'

'I would do it again,' Owen says, his voice strong. Claire looks at him and when she is unable to find any trace of lying, she gives him a small smile. Without saying a word, Owen holds out his hand to Claire who takes it without hesitation. He helps her stand to her feet and doesn't miss the wince as Claire stands on her sure to be blistered feet. Owen leads her around to the desk opposite Gray and Zach and encourages her to sit on the floor.

'I don't think I'm going to wear heels again for a while,' Claire says as she struggles to kick the shoes off. Owen slides down to the floor beside her, reaching forward to slip her shoes off.

'I may have judged your ridiculous shoes too quickly,' Owen says with a smile.

'I did last more than five minutes in the jungle with them,' Claire teases, lowering her head to rest it on his shoulder and Owen welcomes the contact.

'You outran a T-Rex in them,' Owen shoots back and Claire laughs, understanding what Owen is doing.

'Why do you smell like gasoline?' Claire asks after wrinkling her nose as she unknowingly moves closer to him.

'Hiding from the Indominous Rex when she escaped her containment.'

Owen feels more than he hears Claire's sharp intake of breath.

'Don't think about it,' he whispers against her head. 'We're here now and we're alive.'

'How can I not?' Claire asks. 'It's playing on a never ending loop in my head.'

'Try and get some sleep,' Owen says as he gently but firmly guides Claire down until her head is in his lap. Her legs automatically curl up as Owen better situates the blanket on her before adjusting one over himself.

'I don't want to close my eyes,' Claire admits.

'I'll be right here.' Owen encourages as he brings a hand up to run through her hair. Claire reaches out one hand to tangle with his other as she hesitantly closes her eyes. Neither are aware that Zach is still awake and watching their interactions. Despite not having seen his Aunty in years, he knows already that Owen helps her be a better person. He closes his eyes and drapes an arm around his brother, letting the sleep consume him.

* * *

Despite a night full of interrupted sleep, everyone seems to wake up feeling better. Zach and Gray wake up before Claire and Owen and both can't help but smile at the sight of their Aunty curled up in Owen's lap. Their hands are still tangled together and Owen's other arm is resting on her arm. They watched quietly as Claire and Owen began to stir before their eyes started to flutter open. Both looked confused about where they were before clarity came to them. Owen glanced down at Claire and offered her a small smile as she pushed herself up.

'Good morning,' he greeted in a voice so soft Zach had to strain to hear him.

'Good morning,' Claire returned, brushing some hair out of her eyes before looking turning her gaze to her nephews. Seeing that they were awake, Claire shot to her feet and scrambled over to them.

'Did you boys sleep well?'

'Yeah,' Zach answered as he glanced at his brother. 'As well as we could sleeping on the floor.'

Claire huffed out a laugh at the statement. Gray stood up and immediately wrapped his arms around Claire's waist. Owen watched the second of surprise that covered Claire's face before she returned the sentiment.

'We should get down to the docks,' Claire says once they separate. The other three nod. The boys gather some food while Claire eyes her shoes.

'You don't have to put them on,' Owen tells her.

'It's either the shoes or walking around on glass,' Claire replies before gingerly slipping her feet into the heels. She takes a few experimental steps and Owen can see the grimaces. 'I'll be fine Owen.'

Owen smiles but he still offers her his arm. The blush that dusts her cheeks is enough for Owen to know that his subtle attempts at flirting are working with her.

'You boys ready to go?'

'Yes sir!' Gray says and Owen smiles. Together, the group slowly make their way out of the building and down to the docks where everyone had been evacuated to. They are overly cautious about the roaming T-Rex but make it to their destination without incident. No-one pays them much mind as they walk through the doors, Owen leading them straight to an empty cot.

'You three just sit here a moment.' He instructs.

'Where are you going?' Zach asks as he sits down.

'I just need to find some people,' Owen explains and Claire nods her head. Owen gives her hand a squeeze before moving through the throngs of people. Gray eventually puts his head in Claire's lap and the three simply sit here in the silence.

'Next time, can you just come over for dinner or something?' Zach eventually says, breaking the silence and after a pause, Claire can't help but laugh. The boys join in with her, all unaware of Owen watching them with a proud smile.

The End.


End file.
